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H. WILMS NUT CRACKING MACHINE Filed Oct, 19. 1921 3 Sheets-Shes?l l @u 9, w23. mm2@ H, WIILMS NUT CRACKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 19, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheel 2 @ch 9 i923. EA

H. WnLMs NUT GRACKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 19 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 542 /V/Wif/ y Patented i @et 9, 11823.

NETE@ STATES rarest ortica..

HERMANN WLll/IS, OF. ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY JDRECT AND MESNE AS- SGNMENTS, TO THE WILCO MACHINE COMPAY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A COR- PORATION OF MISSOURI.

NUT-ORACKING MACHINE.

Aapplication led October 19, 1921. Serial Noa''.

To @ZZ 107mmk t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERMANN lViLMs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ,of the city of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful 1mprovement in Nut-Cracking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic nut-cracking machines, wherein the nuts are fed between the opposed ends of an axially yieldable anvil-plunger and a. rcciprocatable hammer-plunger to be cracked therebetween, and has for its principal object to provide means for autou'iatically locking the anvil-plunger against movement at a predetermined point of the working stroke of the hammer-plunger, whereby said ham-l mer-plunger is adapted to travel a fixed distance at all times irrespective of the position of the anvil plunger or the length of the e11- gaged nut. Another object is to provide an adjustment for the lock actuating means,

whereby the length of the cracking move-` ment of the anvil-plunger can be adjusted. Another object is an improved feeding means. Another object is to carry the nuts into an open space before cracking, whereby the nuts are free from restraint during such cracking operation. Another object to is to provide a slip-drive connection between the machine and its driving mecha.- nism, whereby the machine is adapted t0 automatically discontinue its operation in the event that the nut engaging plungers engage an unyielding substance. Another object is to prevent the nuts from being removed two at a time from the charging hopper. The invention consists principally in the means for accomplishing the above mentioned objects; and it also consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever` they occur, l

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through ahnt-cracking machine embodying my invention, the section being taken along the axes of the nut engaging plungers;

F ig. 2 is a horizontalsection thereof on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; l

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section through the nut receiving pockets von the line a in Fig. 1; and i Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 3.

The nut-cracking machine shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a table (Shaving legs 7 and depressed housing portions 8 and 9 formed in its opposite ends, the housing 8 being covered by a fiat coverplate 10, and the housing 9 being closed by the upwardly enlarged portion of a coverplate 11.

Journaled in bearings 12 in the rear housing of the table 6 is a two-part crank-shaft 13, each part being provided with a doublecrank 14. The crank-shaft is driven by means of an electric motor 15 having a worm 16, which meshes with a worm gear ring 17 that surrounds the opposing ends of the two sections of said crank-shaft. The worm gear ring has a bushing 18 keyed therein which is provided at one end with an inwardly projecting flange 19, whose outer surface has a series of pointed clutch teeth formed thereon. rlhese teeth mesh with similar teeth formed on the inner surface of the outwardly projecting end flange 20 of a collar 21, which surrounds the opposing ends of the crank-shaft sections and is keyed thereto. The teeth of the worm ar bushing 18 and the crank-shaft collar 21 are normally held in mesh by means of a helical spring 22, which bears at one end against the flange 19 of said bushing and at its opposite end against an annular shoulder -23 formed on said collar. By this arrangement, strain on the worm gear, in excess'of the power of the spring 22'to hold the teeth of the bushing and collar in mesh', causes said teeth to be forced out of mesh, thus automatically disconnecting said worm gear from the crank-shaft.

Slide-blocks 24 are mounted in horizontal slide-ways formed in the upper surface of the table 6 and are connected to the doublecranks 14 of the crank-shaft 13 by means of connecting rods or links 25, whereby the circular motion of said cranks imparts a reciprocating motion to said slide-blocks. Each of the slide-blocks 24 carries a pair of spaced hammer-plungers 26, which project forwardly from the front faces thereof. Each palr of hammer-plungers 26 is adapted to cooperate with a pair of anvil-plungers 27 -disposed in axial alinement therewith to crack a nut therebetween. The opposing ends of the hammer-plungers and the anvil-plungers are provided with conical depressions or recessesl 28 adapted to fit the ends of thenuts. Each pair of anvil plungers is carried b-y slide-blocks 29, which are mounted in horizontal slide-.ways formed by the upper surface of the table 6 and the cover-plate 10 therefor. f

Projecting forwardly from the front face of each hammer-plunger block 24, midway between the hammer-plungers 26 and in horizontal alinement therewith, is a lplunger rod 30. These rods are disposed parallel with the hammer-plungers and have one endi xedly secured to the hammer-plunger blocks 24. The plunger rods 30 extend be-V tween the anvil-plungers 27 and their supporting blocks :29 and are provided at their ends with cross-plates 31. These plates extend on opposite sides of the plunger rods 30 and are adapted 4to cooperate with lugs 32, which project from. the opposing surfaces of each pair'of anvil-plunger blocks 29 at the plunger ends thereof. The crossplate of each plunger-rod 3Q is provided with a pair of independently yieldable heads 33, which are arranged side by side on opposite sides of said rod between the opposing faces of each anvil-plunger block 29 of a pair. The yieldable heads 33 are provided with stems 34, which .pass through holes formed in the cross-plates 31 on opposite sides of the plunger rods 30 therefor. The heads 33 are hollowed out to accommodate helical springs 35, which are sleeved on the stem portions 34 thereof. These springs bear 4at their opposite ends against the hea'ds 33 and said cross-plates A31, thereby normally holding said heads away from said crossplates. Each plunger-head 33 is adapted to cooperate with a lug 36 on the anvil-plunger block located adjacent thereto. These lugs project from the opposing surfaces of each pair of anvil-plunger blocks at the ends opposite from the plungers ends thereof.

The anvil-plunger blocks 29 are normally held in their projected positions, with the plunger ends thereof abutting against guide bushings 37 for the anvil-plungers. by means of springs 38. These. springs are located in 'the housing 8 of the table 6 and are Supported at one end on pins 39 that project horizontally from the depending flanges of brackets 40, whose horizontal fianges are preferably secured to the cover-plate 10 of said table. The opposite ends of the springs 38 are supported in horizontal bores 41 in the anvil-plunger blocks 29, said bores being disposed in axial alinement with the pins 39, whereby said bores .are adapted to receive said pins during the rearward movement of said blocks.

The stems 34 of the heads 33 of the plunger-rods 30 extend beyond said heads and are `adapted to cooperate with knurled-ham dled adjusting screws 42. These screws are threaded through the upper. ends of upright lever arms 43, which are pivotally supported at their lower ends in brackets 44 bolted to the bottom. of the housing 8. Lock-arms 45 have their lower ends pivotallysupported in the brackets 46 and are provided at their upper ends with curved cam surfaces 47 adapted to engage the under surfaces of the anvil-plunger blocks 29. The lever arms 43 are connected at their middle portions to the lock arms 45 by means of links 48. Ad-

justable stops, in the form of studs 49 are' threaded through the lever arms 43, between the links 48 and the studs 49, and abut against the rear end of the table 6, which supports the anvil plunger blocks 29 and the cross-plates 31 and yieldable 'heads of the plunger rods 30. Helical springs 50 are provided for normally holding the cam surfaces 47 of the lock-arms 45 away from the under surfaces of the anvil-plunger blocks 29 and for holding the adjustable stops 49 on the lever arms 43 against the end of the table 6. These, springs are supported on horizontal pins 51 which project forwardly from angle lll() brackets 52 and bea-r at one end against.

shouldered portions of said pins and at the opposite end against the bottoms of square recesses 53 formed in the adjacent rear faces of the lock-arms 45. By this arrangement the normal clearance between `the cam surfaces of the lock-arms and the undersurfaces of the anvil-plunger blocks may be regulated by. manipulating the adjustable stopscrews 49.

The forward ends of the hammer-pluni gers are slidably supported in guide bushings 54, and intheir forward` movement travel across the bottoms of nut receiving pockets 55. which open into enlarged cracking and discharging spaces or openings 56 that extend through the bottom of the table. The sides of the nut receiving pockets 55 are beveled. as at 55a and their bottoms are of slightly greater'width and length than the4 iso posed within said passageways with their downwardly moving sides flush with the nut receiving pockets 55 at the bottom thereof. The feed-wheel for each passageway is fixed to a single horizontal shaft 59, which eX- tends through the walls of said passageways and is journaled at its opposite ends in the bearings 60 that project upwardly from the table.

The feed-wheel shaft is driven from the crank-shaft 13 by means of a pinion 61, which is fixed to said crank-shaft and meshes with a`gear 62 liXed to said feedwheel shaft.

The upwardly moving rear sides of the feed-wheels travel through a series of spaced vertical slots formed in the inclined lower portion of a nut receptacle or hopper 63. The peripheral surface of the feedwheels are provided with a series of radially spaced V-shaped notches, one of each notches beingr conrave. as at 64, which concavities are disposed lowermost on the upwardly moving side of the wheel, and the opposite side being beveled. as at 65, from its middle towards each side of the wheel and disposed substantially upright on said side of said wheel. The nut hopper is provided with a hinged gate 66 for controlling the level of the nuts therein'; and an operating handle 67 is provided for swinging said gate. The hopper is also provided with a, slide bottom 68, whereby dirt or other foreign material may be removed.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The concave portions 64 of the feedwheels travel through the pile of4 loose nuts on the upwardly moving side of said wheels and function as seats or cups which lift the nuts out of the hopper, the beveled portions 65 of said notches serving as a means lfor preventing the nuts from being lifted out of the hopper two at a time. The nuts are then carried rearwardly in the pockets of the r0- tatable feed-wheels and, by reason of the inverted portions assumed by the notches on the downwardly moving sides of said wheels, are discharged therefrom into the vertical passageways 57 and drop into the nut receiving pockets 55 at the bottom thereof. The nuts in falling through the vertical passagcways strike `the inclined walls 55a'v of the pockets and are thus delivered into the bottoms of said pockets with` their pointed ends facing the opposing ends of the uut engaging plungers 2G and 27. lln the event of the deposit of a nut in a pocket while a hammer-plunger is moving therethrough the nut will rest upon said plunger untiljthe same is withdrawn, whereupon the nut will fall to the bottom of said pocket' in position to be engaged by the forward end of said plunger.

The hammer-plungers, at the beginningof their forward movement through the pockets 55, engage the nuts therein and cause their pointed ends to seat inthe conical depressions 28 in the forward ends of said plungers. The nuts are then forced along the pockets until their forward ends seat in the depressions 28 formed in the ends of the anvil-plungers, whereupon the continued forward movement of Said plungers forces the nuts out of the pockets 55 into the enlarged discharge openings 56. This movement also vforces the anvil-plungers and their supporting blocks l 29 backwards against the pressure of the springs 38. During this forward movement of the hammerplungers. the plunger-rods 30 also move forward until the stems 34 of the yieldable heads 33 abut against the vadjusting screws 42 on the lever arms 43, thus causmg said levers to swing rearwardly. This swinging movement of the lever arms 43, by reason of 1:2

their link connections 48 with the lock-arms 45, causes said lock-arms to swing upwardly until their cam surfaces bind against the under sides of the anvil-plunger slide-blocks and thus lock the anvil-plungers against further movement. The shells of the nuts are then cracked between the opposing ends of the hammer-plungers and anvil-plungers by a continued movement of the hammerplungers to the end of their forward strokes.

After nuts have been cracked between the cooperating ends of the nut engaging plungers, the hammer-plungers are retracted while theanvil-plungers remain locked, thus permitting the cracked nuts to fall through the delivery openings 56. lt is noted that the carrying of the nuts from the narrow pockets 55 into the larger discharge openings 56 permits free expansion of the shells freely during the crackingoperation. During the return movement of the hammerplungers, the cross-plates 3l of the plungerrods 30. engage the lugs 32 at the plunger ends of the anvil-plunger blocks 29 and forcesaid blocks to move with said crossplates., thus causing the. curved upper ends 47 ofthe lock-arms 45 to release their grip on the under sides of said blocks. The anvilplunger blocks are then forced forward into the normal positions by -the springs 38, during which time the hammer-plungers complete their return strokes and are again in position to tra-vel forward and engage the nuts in the pockets.

ln the event that the hammer-plungers move forward without engaging a nut, the heads 3S will engage the lugs 36 at the rear ends of the anvil-plunger blocks and carryT said blocks-to their locking positions in advance ot said an vil-plungers, after which the l heads 38 and stems 534 yield with respect to the immovable lever ar'in screws 42 and slide-block lugs 36 aud permit the plungerrods 3() to complete their forward movement.

The point of locking the anvil-plungers lll) may be varied to lengthen or shorten'the crushing movement of the hamn'ier-plungers for nuts of different lengths byadjusting the lever-arm screws 42 towards and away from the lever actuating stems 34.

The length of travel of the hammerplungers and the plunger-rods 30 is the same at all times, but the distance which the anvil-plungers are retracted depends on the length of the engaged nuts. Thus. the point of locking of the retracted anvil-plungers is controlled by the length of the engaged nuts, while the le-ngth of the cracking stroke of the hammer-plungers remains the same, regardless of the positions in which the anvilplungers are locked.

Obviously. the hereinbefore described construction admits of considerable variation without departing from the invention.

What I claim is z- 1. In a nut-cracking machine, anv axially yieldable anvil-plunger. a reciprocatory hammer-plunger disposed in axial alinement with said anvil-plunger, means for locking said anvil plunger, a plunger rod carried by said hammer-plunger for actuating said locking means to lock said anvil-plunger at a predetermined point of the forward movelnent of said hammer-plunger, and yieldable means on the lock engaging end of said lock actuating plunger, whereby the hammer-plunger is permitted to complete its forward stroke.

2` In a nut-cracking machine, a supporting frame, an anvil-plunger mounted for yielding movement in said frame, a block slidably mounted in said frame for reciprocatory movement, said block having a hammer-plunger projecting therefrom in axial alinement with said 'anvil-plunger, locking means for said anvil-plunger, and means carried by said block for actuating said locking means by direct engagement therewith to lock said anvil-plunger at aV predetermined point of the forward movement of said hammer-plunger.

3. In a nut-cracking machine, a supporting frame, a pair of independently yieldable anvil-plungers mounted in said frame, a block slidably supported in said frame for reciprocatory movement towards and away from said anvil-plungers and havinga pair of hammer-plungers projecting towards said anvil-plungers in axial alinment therewith, separate locking means for each of said anvil-plunge-rs, means carried by said block for simultaneously actuating the' lockingmeans for each of saidk anvil-plungers to lock said pair of anvil-plungers at a predetermined point of the forward movement of said ,hammer-plunger block irrespective 'ot' the position of one anvil-plunger with relation to the other, and means 'carried by said block for unlocking said anvil-plungers by direct engagement therewith during the return stroke of said pair of hammerplungers.

4. n a nut-cracking machine, a supporting frame, a pair of independently yieldable anvil-plungers mounted in said frame, a block slidably supported in said frame for reciprocatory movement towards and away `from said anvil-plungers and having a pair of hammer-plungers projecting towards said anvil-plungers in axial alinement therewith, separate locking means for each of said anvil-plungers, means carried by said block for simultaneous-ly actuating the locking means for each of said anvil-plungers to lock said pair of anvil-plungers at a predetermined point of the forward movement of said hammer-plungers irrespective of the position of one anvil-plunger with relation to the other, and means carried by said block for unlocking said anvil-plungers by direct engagement therewith during the return movement of said pair of hammerplungers, said locking actuating means being adapted to yield after engagement with said locking means a distance suiiicient to permit said hammer-plungers to move to the end of anvil-plungers in axial alinement therewith,

means for feeding nuts between the opposed ends of said plungers, separate locking means for each of said anvil-plungers, and plunger carried by said block for simultaneously actuating the locking means for each of said anvil-plungers to loc-k said pair of anvil-plungers at a predetermined point of the forward movement of said hammerplungers irrespective of the position of one anvil-plunger with relation to the other, and yieldable means on the lock engaging end of said lock actuating plunger and adapted permit said hammer-plungers to move to the end of their forward strokes after the engagement of said locking devices by said lock actuating means.

6. In a nut-cracking machine` a supporting frame, a yield-able block slidably supported on said frame and having an anvilplunger projecting therefrom, a block slidably supported on said frame and having a hammer-plunger projecting towards said anvil-plunger and in axial alinement therewith, means for reciprocating said hammerplunger block towards and away from said anvil-plunger` means for feeding nuts between the opposed ends of said plungers, locking means for said anvil-plunger,v a plunger-rod projecting from said hammerplunger. block in parallel alinement with the hammer-plunger thereof, a cross-plate fixed to said plunger-rod and adapted in the return movement of said hammer-plunger block. to cooperate'with a lateral lug adjacent to the plunger-end of said anvil-plunger block, and an axially yieldably head slidably supported by said cross-plate, said head being adapted in the forward movement of said hammer-plunger block to engage said locking means to actuate the same, said crossplafte being adapted in the return movement of said hammer-plunger block to engage the lateral lug on said anvil-plunger block `to unlock the same.

7. lin a nut-cracking machine, a supporting frame, a yieldable block slidably supported on said frame and having an anvil-plunger projecting therefrom, a block slidably supported on said frame and having a hammerplunger projecting towards said anvilplunger and in axial alinement therewith, means for reciprocating said hammer-plunger block towards and away from said anvilplunger, means for feeding nuts between the opposed ends of said plungers, locking means for said anvil-plunger, a plunger-rod projecting from said hammer-plunger block in parallel alinement with the hammer-plunger thereof, a cross-plate iixed to said plunger rod and adapted in the return movement of said hammer-plunger block to cooperate with a lateral lug adjacent to the plunger ends of said anvil-plunger block, an axially yieldable head slidably supported by said cross-plate, said head being adapted in the forward movement of said hammer-plunger block to engage said locking means to actuate the same, said cross-plate being adapted in the return movement of said hammerplunger block to engage the lateral lug on said anvil-plunger block to unlock the saine, and adjustable means associated with lsaid locking means whereby the point of locking of said anvil-plunger block can be adjusted to occur at a predetermined point of the forward stroke ofsaid hammer-plunger.

8. ln a nut-cracking machine, a supporting frame, a pair of independently yieldable slide-blocks slidably supported on said frame, each of said slide-blocks having an anvil-plunger projecting therefrom, a block slidably supported on said frame and having a pair of hammer-plungers projecting therefrom towards said anvil-plunger and in axial alinement therewith, means for reciprocating said hammer-plunger block towards and away from said pair of yieldable anvilplungers, means for feeding nuts between the opposed ends of said opposed pairs of plungers, separate locking means for said anvil-plunger blocks, a plunger-rod projecting from said hammer-plunger block between the pair of hammer-plungers thereof and said anvil-plungers and their supporting block, a cross-plate fixed to said plungerrod and adapted to cooperate with a lateral lug adjacent to the plunger end of each of said anvil-plunger blocks, and a pair of independently axially yieldable heads mounted on said crosS-plateand adapted in the forward movement of said hammer-plunger block to engage said locking means to actuate the same, said cross-plate being adapted in the return movement of said hammerplunger block to engage the lateral lugs on said anvil-plunger blocks to unlock the same.

9. ln a nut-cracking machine, a yieldable anvil-plunger, a reciprocatory hammerplunger disposed in axial alinement with said anvil-plunger, a pivotally supported lock-arm adapted to engage said anvilplunger, a pivotally supported actuating lever having a link connection with said lock-lever, and means carried by said hammer-plunger for actuating said lever, thereby forcing said lock-lever into engagement with said anvil-plunger to lock the saine at a predetermined point of the forward movement of said hammer-plunger.

10. ln a nut-cracking machine, a yieldable anvil-plunger, a recip-rocatory hammer-plunger disposed in axial alincment with said anvil-plunger, means for feeding a nut between the opposed ends of said plungers, a pivotally supported lock-arm adapted to engage said anvil-plunger, a pivotally 'supported actuating lever having a link connection with said lock-lever, means carried by said hammer-plunger for forcing said lock-lever into engagement with said anvil-plunger to lock the same at a predetermined point of the forward movement ofsaid hammer-plunger, and adjustable means on said actuating lever for regulating the normal clearance between said lockarm and said anvil-plunger.

ll. In a nut-cracking machine, a yieldable anvil-plunger, a reciprocatory hammer-plunger disposed in axial alinement with said anvil-plunger, a pivotally sup- '-7 ported lock-lever adapted to engage said anvil-plunger, a lever-arm having a link connection with saidY lock-lever, and a plunger-rod carried by said hammerplunger and adapted to engage the free end of said lever-arm to force said lock-arm into engagement with said anvil-plunger at a predetermined point of the forward movement of said hammer-plunger.

l2. lln a nut-cracking machine, a yieldable anvil-plunger, a reciprocatory hammerplunger disposed in axial alineinent with said anvil-plunger, a pivotally supported lock-lever adapted to engage said anvilplunger, a lever-arm having a link connection with said lock-lever, a plunger rod carried by said hammer-plunger and adapted to engage the free end of said lever-arm to force said lock-arm into engagement with said anvil-plunger at a predetermined point of the forward movement of'said hammerplunger, and yieldable means on the free end of said plunger-rod whereby the latter is adapted to complete its forward sti-olie regardless of the point oi' locking); of said anvil-plunger. 4

13. Ina nut-cracking machine, a yieldable anvil-plunger, a reeiprocatory hammerplunger disposed in axial alinement with said anvil-plunger, a pivotally supported lock-lever adapted to engage said anvilplunger, a lever-arm having a link connection with said lock-lever, an adjusting screw mounted on the free end of said lever-arm,

a plunger-rod carried -by said hammerplunger and adapted to abut against the free end of said adjusting screw to force said lock-arm into engagement with said anvil-plunger at a predetermined point of the forward movement of said hanunerplunger, and an adjustable stop on said lever-arm for regulating the normal clearance between said lock-lever and said anvilplunger.

14. In a nut-e-J.cking machine, a plurality of independently axially yieldable anvilplungers, a plurality of cooperating hammerplungers disposed in axially alinement with said anvil-plungers and adapted for joint axial movement towards and away from the same, separate locking means for each of said anvil-plungers, and a single means carried by said hammer-plungers and adapted to directly engage the locking means for all of said anvil-plungers to simultaneously lock the same at a predetermined point of the forward movement of said hammerplungers.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 15th day of October, 1921.

HERMANN `WILMS- 

